Houston woman who pulled man from burning SUV gets prestigious award

Carnegie Medal to go to woman burned during act of heroism

Shei'Londa S. Brooks witnessed a nighttime accident on Feb. 29 and pulled Austin I. Stoney from his compact SUV that had gone off the roadway, struck a concrete wall and exploded. She was just told that she would be receiving the Carnegie Metal, Thursday,Dec. 22, 2016 in Houston. The medal is given to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.

Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

Shei'Londa Brooks tapped her brakes when she noticed a sport utility vehicle barreling down a Loop 610 feeder road near Post Oak Boulevard in February.

She knew to avoid the vehicle, which soon was skidding out of control and crossing from the far-right lane to the left lane.

As Brooks pulled over, she saw the SUV plow into a cement barricade, flip over and strike a pole. With sparks and a fire visible under the SUV's hood, she ran toward the wreck, concerned about the driver and not thinking about her own safety.

"It was literally no one but God," Brooks, of west Houston, said in an interview Thursday. "I don't even remember getting out of my car, I don't remember closing the door. All I remember is I ran to the car and tried to get him out."

Brooks managed to pull the driver, Austin I. Stoney, out of the SUV when the vehicle exploded. She stepped back in agony, as others helped get Stoney totally out. Both suffered severe burns but survived.

For her actions, Brooks is one of 21 individuals to be awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal for civilian heroism this month. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission awards the medal to individuals in the U.S. and Canada who "risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others," according to a news release from the commission.

The 25-year-old administrative assistant said it has been a difficult 10 months, between her medical treatment, being unable to work for six months and facing mounting medical bills. But this week she got to meet Stoney for the first time since their paths crossed. She said the pain and medical expenses were worth it to see Stoney and to meet his wife and children.

"His little girl opened the door and said 'Thanks for saving my daddy,' " Brooks recalled with a wide smile. "Hopefully it's the beginning of a new friendship."

'She was an angel'

Stoney, 39, has his own take on what happened.

"I don't think people meet by accident," Stoney told FOX 26. "I most definitely would say she was an angel."

Brooks, a graduate of Willowridge High School in the Fort Bend ISD, is no stranger to adversity.

Her mother died when she was 14, and her father was absent for much of her youth, she says. Brooks relied heavily on three older siblings for love and guidance.

She enrolled at Texas Southern University, eventually transferring to the University of Phoenix so she could work full time. She hopes someday to become a social worker or a school counselor.

Brooks also is no stranger to pain. Though she's only about 5 feet tall, Brooks is a cornerback for the Houston Energy, a semiprofessional female football team. She's hit her head on the ground during football practice. She's strained and torn muscles running cross country, playing volleyball and taking part in other sports.

In fact, Brooks was returning from football practice with her roommate when they came upon the accident last February. She found Stoney laying across the front seats, and says she tried pulling on his clothing to get him out of the vehicle before it exploded.

"I felt fire from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet," Brooks said. "I don't think I can describe it. It was a pain that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

The blast singed the skin off part of her left leg, and her spandex pants melted on top of her raw muscle, she said. Brooks ripped off part of her melted spandex leggings, which she says caused permanent nerve damage. She could hear her roommate screaming, but the ringing in her ears made it difficult to make out her words.

She sustained burns of up to second degree to her face, arms, chest and legs. Tufts of hair fell from her hairline.

In the ambulance, a paramedic told Brooks that Stoney would have died had she not acted.

$6K ambulance ride

Brooks was taken to a local hospital, then transferred to John Sealey Hospital's burn center in Galveston. The ambulance ride from Houston to the island alone cost $6,000.

She said the worst part of the night was seeing the looks on her siblings' faces when they visited her in the hospital.

"I didn't cry during the whole experience until they walked in. To see how they were hurt and so nervous to see if I was hurt, if I had all my limbs ..." Brooks said as her voice faded.

Despite her injuries, Brooks was able to walk out of the hospital the next day. Her burns didn't require surgery, but the discoloration and scars they caused are still visible on her arms and legs. She's working for a union that represents Houston ISD teachers and employees, and even managed to play a little football.

Her bank account was another story. The medical expenses piled up on top of her regular expenses. Her church, Higher Dimension, raised money for Brooks by selling T-shirts and collecting money on Sundays. Church members would bring her food virtually every day and would sit and pray with her when the pain was too immense.

Stoney also survived, though his burns were more severe and required surgery, Brooks said. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The 21 awardees announced this week by the commission bring to 93 the number honored in 2016 by the Pittsburgh-based fund, established in 1904 by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Four of this month's honorees died in the performance of their heroic acts.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission provides grants to award recipients or their survivors.

Brooks said she hopes her actions - and those of other awardees - inspire others to extend a helping hand.

"Next time you see someone in an accident or with a flat tire, help," she said. "You don't know what you can do for that person that day or for their life."

Shelby Webb is a suburban education reporter for the Houston Chronicle, covering trends across districts in Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Brazoria counties. She previously worked as an education reporter with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida from 2013 to 2016 and attended the University of Florida.